BRICS Summit Offers India A Major Opportunity To Strengthen Its Global Leadership, Says Kugelman

New Delhi: The 18th BRICS summit has provided an important opportunity for India to further strengthen its global leadership. The conference is taking place at a time when the world is grappling with economic and political instability. In such a situation, BRICS is trying to strengthen its role as an alternative global platform for developing countries.

American and South Asian affairs analyst Michael Kugelman on Saturday analysed the geo-political scenario of the 18th BRICS summit, calling it an important opportunity for India to re-establish global leadership. According to him, amid increasing instability in the international system and global economy, this conference is giving an opportunity to developing countries to strengthen their voice.

#WATCH | Washington, US: On the potential challenges regarding the 18th BRICS Summit, South Asia analyst Michael Kugelman says, "India will measure the success of this summit by its ability to produce a joint statement that is substantive... To get a joint statement, you need to… pic.twitter.com/Mq2VvkskKT

— ANI (@ANI) September 11, 2026

Is this the right time for India to engage with the Global South?

According to Kugelman, amidst the current expansion of BRICS and increasing instability at the global level, this is an important time for India to strengthen its role with the countries of the Global South. He said that through this platform, India can strengthen its global leadership capacity and increase cooperation with the Global South.

He believes that dissatisfaction with the global economic and financial system is increasing. In such a situation, BRICS can become an important platform to put forward new options.

Will building consensus be the biggest challenge for India?

Kugelman warned that the biggest diplomatic challenge before India would be to agree on a common statement among the BRICS member countries. With the expansion of the group, the interests of different countries have also increased, so it will not be easy to bring all the members to one opinion.

He said that India can prove the success of this conference through its ability to issue a strong joint statement. Building consensus may become more challenging in the future due to the increasing membership of BRICS.

Will there be trouble on the issue of Iran and America?

Kugelman also mentioned two major challenges facing India. The first challenge is related to Iran. Both Iran and the UAE are part of BRICS, so it may be difficult for the group to formulate a common stance on a sensitive issue like the Iran war.

The second challenge is regarding America. Russia-Iran and possibly China may want to include language strongly critical of the US in the joint statement. However, India and other member countries would like to avoid doing so, as talks are going on between India and America regarding a trade agreement.

What did PM Modi say about the role of BRICS?

Earlier on Friday, while addressing the Leaders Session of BRICS Business Forum, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India is trying to become economically strong at a time when trade barriers are increasing in the world.

PM Modi said that India has made its supply chain more diverse and reliable in different sectors. This has enabled the country to assure development and stability even amidst global uncertainties.

What theme has India chosen for BRICS chairmanship?

Prime Minister Modi said that global trade can progress only when sea routes are safe, supply routes remain open and navigation is safe. The theme of India's BRICS chairmanship has been kept as 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability'.

PM Modi also said that BRICS, which started in the year 2006, has now expanded a lot. Today its family of member and partner countries has increased to 21 countries.